Vacuum cleaner nozzle



Aug. 25, 1942. A. E. 555 2,294,243

VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed Nov. 5, 1940 H 2 f I o 28 aw/222M222 32 2'3 31 3 273 416 29 INVENTOR. '%2W ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 25, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application November 5, 1940. Serial No. 364,396

8 Claims. (01.15-155) My invention relates to vacuum cleaner nozzles and particularly to nozzles of this type which are connected to a separate motor-fan unit by means of a flexible hose and a rigid hollow member which serves as both a handle for moving the nozzle and as a conduit for conducting air from the nozzle to the hose.

This handle normally extends at an angle from the nozzle and is grasped by the operator near its upper end. In using the device to clean a rug or the like, the nozzle is moved in forward and backward strokes over the mg by means of this handle. During the forward stroke, the force applied by the operator to the handle has a vertically downward component which is added to the weight of the nozzle, thus tending to force the lips of the nozzle more deeply into the pile of the rug. This increases the resistance to movement of the nozzle over the rug. On the other hand, on the backward stroke the force applied to the handle has a vertically upward component which is subtracted from the weight of the nozzle and causes the latter to bear against the rug with less than normal force. This results in reducing the seal between the nozzle lips and the rug, which in turn reduces the amount of air drawn through the rug and consequentl adversely affects the cleaning.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide means for compensating for the reversal of the vertical component of the force applied to the handle upon a reversal in direction of movementof the handle and nozzle.- In accordance with my invention, means are provided whereby the lips of the nozzle are automatically moved upwardly a slight amount with respect to the lowermost pointof the nozzle upon a forward stroke and are moved downwardly slightly upon a reverse stroke.

The preferred structure for carrying out my line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and t Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, similar to Fig.

invention, as well as further objects and ad- 3 but with certain parts indifferent relative positions.

Referring .to the drawing, reference character Ill designates generally a vacuum cleaner nozzle comprising a hollow elongated body member ll.

As shown, this body member includes a forward portion l2 and a rear portion 13 which are joined together along the plane of the left-hand portion of Fig 1 by means of bolts l4. However, this is merely a convenient way of forming the nozzle body, and as far as the present invention is concerned the body could be in one or several pieces.

The nozzle body is formed with a pair of spaced substantially parallel lips l5 and It which define between them an elongated suction opening l1. Rotatably mounted in the rear portion l3 of the nozzle body is a handle connection member I8, the outer end 19 of which is adapted to receive and frictionally engage a hollow handle member "la. The inner end 20 of the connection member I8 is cut away, as indicated at 2i, in order to provide for communication with that portion of the hollow body which is between the inlet l1 and a partition wall 22. In the nozzle shown, the body is provided with an additional and smaller suction opening 23, which communicates with a space within the hollow body located between the opening 23 and a partition wall 24. As is clear from Fig. 2, if the nozzle body is rotated about the end 20 of the connection member l8 through .180", the opening 23 will occupy the position now shown-as occupied by the opening l1,and the opening 23 will communicate with the interior of the connection member I8 through the cutaway portion 2|. However, the provision of two suction openings forms no part of the present in vention.

Each end 25 of the nozzle body is formed with an inclined plane surface 26. A supporting member 21 having an upper inclined surface 28 slidably engages the surface 26. Member 21 has a lower surface 29 which is adapted to slide over a rug or the like undergoing cleaning. As is shown particularly in Fig. 4, member 21 is provided with a projection 30 which extends into a recess 3| formed in the nozzle body. Projection 30 carries a pin 32 on which are mounted rollers 33. The pin may be rotatably mounted in the projection or the rollers may be rotatably mounted on the pin, or all of these parts may be rotatable relative to each other. A pair of retaining plates 34. are secured to the nozzle body by means of screws 35 and serve to retain the member 21 in place. As is apparent from Figs. 3

and 4, the recess 3| has a length several times that of the diameter of the rollers 33, whereby relative limited movement between the members 21 and the nozzle body is permitted.

The lower surface 29 of the .member 21 is preferably formed with a groove 36 for the purpose of permitting air to be drawn into the nozzle 1 from those portions of the rug which are underneath the members 21;

In operation, rigid hollow handle I90. is secured to the end IQ of member I8 and extends upwardly at the same angle to the vertical as does the end IS. The upper end of the handle is connected to a cleaning unit by means of a flexible hose. Such cleaning unit is'well known and includes a dust-separating member and means, such as a motor-fan unit, to produce flow of air. In order to clean a rug, the nozzle is moved back and forth over the rug. The suction produced in the hollow member causes air to flow throughthe material of the rug to the suction opening ll bounded by the lips 86 and II. This flow of air removes dirt from the rug as the nozzle is moved thereover. To effect this movement, theoperator grasps the upper end of the handle and first pushes forward on the handle and then draws the handle backwardly. On the forward stroke, the force applied to the handle has a vertically downward opponent which tends to cause thelips i and it of the nozzle to penetrate more deeply into the pile of the rug. However, on the forward stroke the friction between the rug and the members 21 causes the latter to lag behind the nozzle, thus causing the surfaces 26 of the nozzle body to slide upwardly on the inclined surfaces 28 of the members 21 until the rear ends of the recesses 3| strike the rollers 33. This position of the parts is shown in Fig. 3. On the rearward stroke of the nozzle, the members 2'5 again tend to lag behind and the parts shift to the position shown in Fig. 5, the relative movement between the nozzle body and the members 21 being limited by the rollers 33 contacting theforward ends of the recess iii. A comparison of Figs. 3 and 5 will clearly show that in the former figure the nozzle lips l5 and 56 are spaced a greater distance from the bottom surfaces 29 of members 2! than they are in the latter figure. As previously explained, this compensates for the variation in vertical force, which tends to push the nozzle into the rug on the forward stroke and tends ,to lift the nozzle from the rug on the rearward stroke. This not only increases the ease of operation by reducing resistance to movement of the nozzle over the rug on the forward stroke, but also increases the cleaning effect of the nozzle on the rearward stroke by bringing the nozzle lips into better sealing relationship with the rug. While I have shown and described one more or less specific embodiment of my invention, it

is to be understood that this has been done for purposes of illustration only and that the scope of my invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle, a hollow body member having lips defining a suction opening, structure having substantially fiat area slidably engaging a surface to be cleaned for supporting said body member on said surface means for moving said nozzle in forward and backward strokes for lowering the lips relative to the structure upon a rearward stroke- 2. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle, a hollow body member having lips defining a suction opening, means for moving said nozzle ,in forward and backward strokes over a surface to be cleaned, structure slidably engaging said surface for supporting said bodymember on said surface, and

means for movably securing said structure to said body member so that by virtue of the sliding friction between said structure and said surface forward movement of said nozzle over said surface raises said lips relative to said structure and rearward movement of the nozzle over the surface lowers the lips relative to the structure, the lastmentioned means preventing pivoting of said body .relative to said structure. i

3. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle, a hollow body member having lips defining a suction opening, means for moving said nozzle in forward and backward strokes over a surface to be cleaned, and structure slidably engaging said surface for supporting said body member on said surface, said structure and said body member having cooperating sliding faces, said faces being inclined so that movement of said body member relative to said structure by virtue of the sliding friction between said structure and said surface alters the elevation of said lips relative to said structure while preventing pivoting of said body relative to said structure. I

4. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle, a hollow body member having lips defining a suction opening, means for moving said nozzle in forward and backward strokes over a surface 'to be cleaned, and elements slidably associated with said body member adjacent to either end thereof and slidably engaging said surface for supporting the body member on said surface, said body member and said elements having co-operating sliding faces inclined in such a direction that movement of said body member in a forward direction in relation to said elements by virtue of friction between the surface and said elements raises said lips relative to said elements, said sliding faces preventing pivoting of said body member with respect to said elements.

5. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle, a hollow body member having lips defining an elongated suction opening, a rigid handle connected to said body member and extending upwardly from the rear side thereof for moving said nozzle in forward and backward strokes over a surface to be cleaned, and structure slidably associated with said body member and slidably engaging said surface for supporting the body member on said surface, said structure and said body member having contacting sliding faces inclined upwardly towards the front of the body member whereby movement of said body member forwardly with respectto the structure by virtue of friction between the surface and said structure raises said lips relative to said structure, said faces preventing pivoting of said body member with respect to said structure.

6. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle, a hollow body member having lips defining a suction opening, means for moving said nozzle in forward and backward strokes over a surface to be cleaned, elements slidably associated with said body member and slidably engaging said surface for supporting the latter on said surface, said elements and said body member having contacting sliding faces inclined in such a direction that movement of said body member in a forward direction in relation to saidelements by virtue of frictionbetween the surface and said elements raises said lips relative to said elements, said faces preventing pivoting of said body member with respect to said elements, said body member being formed with recesses elongated, in the direction of forward and backward movement, and means carried by said elements and projecting into said recesses for slidably securing said elements to said body member.

7. In a'vacuum cleaner nozzle, a hollow body member having lips defining a suction opening, means for moving said nozzle in forward and backward strokes over a surface to be cleaned, elements slidably associated with said body member and slidably engaging said surface for supporting the latter on said surface, said elements and said body member having contacting sliding faces inclined in such a direction that movement of said body member in a forward direction in relation to said elements by virtue of friction between the surface and said elements raises said lips relative to said elements, said sliding faces preventing pivoting of said body member with respect to said elements, said body member being formed with recesses elongated in the direction of forward and backwardmovement. projections on said elements extending into said recesses, and rollers carried by said projections and engaging the interior of said recesses for slidably securing said elements to said body member.

8. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle, a hollow body member having lips defining a suction opening,

means for moving said nozzle in forward and backward strokes over a surface to be'cleaned, elements slidably associated with said body member and slidably engaging said surface for supporting the latter on said surface, said elements and said body member having contacting sliding faces inclined in such a direction that movement of said body member in a forward direction in relation to said elements by virtue of the sliding friction between the-surface and said elements raises said lips relative to said elements, said sliding faces preventing pivoting of said body member with respect to said elements, said body member being formed with recesses open at ADRIAN E. ROSS. 

